World
October 30, 2024 17:40
amsterdam - Ramzan Kadyrov, the attack dog of the Kremlin, promises harsh revenge on Kiev after a drone attack. Should Ukraine be worried?
Dictator, Chechen devil, Putin's Bloodhound, Pitbull, mafioso: the list of nicknames for Ramzan Kadyrov is long and, above all, sinister. He has been ruling the Caucasian republic with an iron fist for seventeen years, describing himself as the 'Chechen boss, hero of Russia, full of fighting spirit and iron will'. Kadyrov is known as a loyal ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin and has sent Chechen forces to fight alongside the Russian military in Ukraine multiple times.
Unsurprisingly, Kadyrov was enraged by the Ukrainian attack on a military training center. The building targeted was reportedly named after Putin and even visited by him last August. In a video published by the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti, Kadyrov vowed, 'They have bitten us, and now we will destroy them. We will show them revenge in the very near future that they couldn't even dream of.'
Kadyrov's unwavering loyalty to Moscow was not always guaranteed. During the First Chechen War, he fought against the Russian army alongside his father, separatist leader Akhmat Kadyrov. In the Second Chechen War, he sided with Russia. This loyalty accelerated Putin's political career, leading to his presidency in 2000 and appointing Kadyrov as the head of Chechnya after his father's assassination.
Under Kadyrov's leadership, kidnappings, tortures, extrajudicial executions, and repression against political and military opponents became common. Journalists critical of him faced threats, while Kadyrov advocated for the 'cleansing' of homosexuals. He is suspected of being involved in the murders of opposition figures like Boris Nemtsov and journalist Anna Politkovskaya.
In exchange for doing Putin's dirty work, Kadyrov's clan receives significant financial support from the Kremlin. This has funded a lavish lifestyle with luxury cars, estates, a local football club, and extravagant parties with celebrities like Jean-Claude Van Damme and Mike Tyson.
Recent threats from Kadyrov indicate brewing retaliation against Ukraine. He ordered his commanders to kill Ukrainian soldiers instead of taking them as prisoners, and admitted to using Ukrainian prisoners as human shields during the drone attack. This act is considered a war crime under the Geneva Convention.